Wine o'clock: Portugal's wine cellars hope for better days as soccer fans arrive

Taylor's Port Wine chief executive Adrien Bridge poses for a portrait at the company cellars as Portugal's northern city prepares to host the Champions League final between Manchester City and Chelsea, in Porto, Portugal, May 28, 2021. REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura

PORTO, Portugal (Reuters) - Wine merchants in northern Portugal who suffered huge losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic hope that some of the thousands of fans flocking to Porto for the Champions League final will fancy a glass - or two - of the region's famous port wine.

A total of 16,500 fans will be allowed into Porto's soccer stadium for Saturday's match between Chelsea and Manchester City. Many others are travelling to Porto to support their teams from the sidelines.